Newbie

I have an early Nichols hand mill (serial number 5-C-xxx, which I think is '39-'40), which was a fairly rust hulk that had been sitting out in the weather for many years. For $50 (delivered!) I couldn't argue, and it was actually in fairly good condition mechanically; the original motor even worked!

Anyway, I rebuilt most of it and it's been a very solid machine. One of the last projects was replacing the hand lever which moves the head up and down. It's basically a rusty pipe, while the other is a nicer tapered aluminum piece. The latter manuals show a set screw on the side of the boss it attaches to, and I believe I read somewhere that it is easily removed. On mine, the set screw is on the top of the boss, and after removing it, the handle turns freely, but will not come out. I don't want to have to completely disassemble the spindle just to get at this part if I don't need to.

Has anyone ever removed this early hand lever? Does a manual/parts list exist for the early machines? It's the one with the large cutout under the knee.

Active User

Are you just trying to remove the handle (item 40) from the "segment gear" (item 75) by removing the "segment handle lock screw" (item 79)?

If so, it sure looks like that should do it!

Perhaps the screw raised a burr on the handle shaft. Any way you can see down the screw hole?
I'd hit it with some penetrating oil (50/50 mix of acetone and automatic tranmission fluid), then blow it out with compressed air. (keep a rag over it _and_ wear your safety glasses!)
Then maybe you can peer in with a stong LED flashlight and mirror.
A little bore-scope would be ideal here.